


Forms

by hostilovi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, M/M, Magical Realism, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:44:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hostilovi/pseuds/hostilovi
Summary: He'd never exactly been perfect during the course of his lifetime, but Iwaizumi still hadn't expected this level of karmic retribution to befall him.Breath coming in short wheezes, plastered up against a brick wall in a dark alleyway, Iwaizumi wondered when he'd even started believing in karma.Probably right about the same time he'd had a gun shoved in his face.





	1. Chapter 1

He'd never exactly been perfect during the course of his lifetime, but Iwaizumi still hadn't expected this level of karmic retribution to befall him.

 

Breath coming in short wheezes, plastered up against a brick wall in a dark alleyway, Iwaizumi wondered when he'd even started believing in karma.

 

Probably right about the same time he'd had a gun shoved in his face.

 

"Give it up, Akaashi," the man holding the gun snarled, not for the first time. 'Man' was only a rough descriptor. It was dark out, only a few stars and the moon covered by a thick veil of clouds, but Iwaizumi swore the guy had a tail. Also, whatever he was, the guy towered over him by near a full meter, and Iwaizumi wasn't exactly  _ short. _

 

"For the last time," Iwaizumi gasped out. "You've got the wrong person!"

 

The gun fired. Iwaizumi yelped as the bricks next to him shattered and splintered, a few shards scratching his face. Ears ringing, he still managed to glare at the not-man. Surely someone had heard the gunshot and would come running, or at least notify the police. Iwaizumi just hoped that they came in time.

 

"That was a warning, Akaashi. I only give one of those."

 

"You're fucking crazy," Iwaizumi snapped. "I'm not this Akaashi you're looking for, all right?"

 

The not-man reached into his pocket and shoved a photo in Iwaizumi's face, the gun still steady on him. Iwaizumi squinted at it. From what he could see, it was incredibly blurry. All he could make out was a mop of dark hair, attached to a figure with tan skin.

 

"That could be anyone."

 

"This was you, one week ago in Kyoto. I don't make mistakes." The photo was returned to his pocket and the not-man jabbed him in the chest with the end of his gun. "Now talk. Where's the mirror?"

 

"Someplace where the likes of you will never find it," a new voice said from the entrance to the alley, a voice as cool and crisp and cutting as a breath of air during snowfall. Both Iwaizumi as well as the not-man looked and saw a figure leaning casually against the wall.

 

The not-man whipped his gun towards the shadowed figure and fired off a few shots in quick succession with a loud, inhuman growl. But as far as Iwaizumi could tell, before any of the shots landed, the figure simply—vanished.

 

His heart was racing so fast it was a wonder it just didn't stop altogether.

 

"Akaashi!" The not-man yelled into the darkness, lifting one hand to the sky and giving an imperious twist of his wrist. The clouds, which had been obscuring the waxing moon, scuttled away like small insects burrowing back into the earth.

 

Iwaizumi's knees faltered as he beheld the not-man clearly for the first time.

 

His skin was a rich shade of purple, ram-like horns curling off either side of his head, and his teeth—which Iwaizumi could see as he had his lips pulled back in a snarl—came to sharp points.

 

"Oh, shit," he whispered, edging towards the entrance to the alleyway.

 

"Don't you move," the not-man ground out, clearly addressing Iwaizumi even as his head whipped around in search of the real Akaashi. Iwaizumi dutifully froze in place. "Clearly you are his accomplice. I will take you in for questioning."

 

"Really, Kentarou? That's a fairly stupid conclusion to come to, even for you." Iwaizumi couldn't place where the voice was coming from; it seemed to emanate from all angles.

 

"That's Kyotani, to you, traitor!"

 

Kyotani Kentarou, as he was apparently called, must have gotten a better idea of where Akaashi was, because he fired off another shot towards the back corner of the alley this time. But even as he did so, from the opposite corner sprang an enormous black—something, Iwaizumi didn't have the words to describe it other than  _ monstrous  _ and  _ cat-like— _ and knocked a yelling Kyotani to the ground.

 

The beast looked up at Iwaizumi, grinning with a mouthful of too many teeth.

 

"Run," Akaashi said simply.

 

So Iwaizumi ran.

 

He ran all the way to the door of his house, fumbling for his keys with shaking hands, cursing as he missed the lock entirely a few times before jamming it home and twisting. The door flew open, Iwaizumi dove in, and he slammed it closed.

 

He was breathing hard, not just from the desperate sprint he’d done to get here. He turned his back to the door and slid down to the floor, trying to calm down to no avail. Iwaizumi didn’t feel much safer for having made it home. If the not-man, Kyotani, had found him on the streets, no doubt he could find Iwaizumi again.

 

“Are ghosts real too?” he said aloud to himself. He shut his eyes tightly and pressed the palms of his hands against them, rubbing. “F uck,” he muttered without much force behind it. Then, louder, “Shit, fuck, damn.”

 

He was too exhausted to deal with the revelation that the supernatural was real, so Iwaizumi kicked off his shoes and went to bed fully clothed, all the lights blazing bright against the darkness outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three days. Three days since that awful night that had been just a little too real for Iwaizumi to believe it was a dream.

 

“All right there, Iwaizumi?” one of his co-workers asked curiously, pausing by where Iwaizumi had set up his laptop in the cramped break room that also served as the back office.

 

Iwaizumi forced a smile, looking up at him over his computer screen.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“You haven’t typed anything in five minutes.”

 

Iwaizumi glowered at him. “I’m  _ thinking. _ ”

 

Yahaba raised an eyebrow but shrugged, and left the room, tossing his juice bottle in the recycling bin with a practiced motion. “We’re closing soon, you know. Might want to wrap that up.”

 

Iwaizumi drew in a deep breath, exhaled, and shut the laptop down after saving what little work he’d finished. It would have to wait until his next work day. He gathered his things and went through the motions of the closing procedures, and soon he was waving goodbye to his co-workers, except for Yahaba, whose apartment was in the same direction as Iwaizumi’s small house. They started walking, Iwaizumi moving a little more briskly than usual in an effort to not be caught outside after dark.

 

“So,” Yahaba said, drawing out the single syllable. “Girl trouble?”

 

Iwaizumi nearly tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. “No,” he replied vehemently. “Don’t be an idiot.”

 

“Boy trouble, then? Gender non-conforming trouble? You know you can tell me anything,” Yahaba said with a grin. “You’ve been distracted all day. It has to be one of those.”

 

Iwaizumi glared at his junior. “Not everything is about romance, Yahaba. Even if it  _ was _ that sort of thing, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

 

Iwaizumi thought that maybe he would drop the subject then, but was quickly proved wrong when Yahaba slung a friendly arm around his shoulders.

 

“C’mon, Iwaizumi, we’re friends, aren’t we?” He eyed him, and Iwaizumi could practically hear the wheels in his head spinning. “I’d ask if it was one of our fellow colleagues, but you’re way out of their league. So where’d you meet this mysterious someone?”

 

_ In a dark alley at gunpoint. _

 

“Drop it, Yahaba. There’s no mystery person.”

 

“Jeez, touchy!” Yahaba let go of him though and they returned to walking in comfortable silence for precisely one minute. “You know, you never ask about  _ my  _ love life. Were I a lesser man, I’d be hurt.”

 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and gave him a friendly punch in the arm, laughing when Yahaba pouted and claimed he needed to dial back the strength meter a few notches. They finally parted ways, Iwaizumi waiting to see that Yahaba made it safely inside his apartment before continuing on the few more blocks to home.

 

He unlocked the door, kicking off his shoes in the entryway and flicking on the lights, making sure to lock the door securely behind him. Feeling just as zoned out as he had felt for most of the day, Iwaizumi made himself a simple dinner, cleaned up the dishes, and exchanged his scrubs for a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

 

With nothing else to do for the night, Iwaizumi settled on the couch with his laptop, opening a few tabs and starting up a nature documentary for background noise.

 

“Am I really doing this?” he mumbled to himself, even as he typed out the words into the search engine. Once he pressed enter there was no going back.

 

Iwaizumi stared at the words he had typed.  _ Purple skin, ram horns, tail. _

 

He pressed enter.

 

Most of the hits came back as the fictional tieflings from that tabletop game, but there were a few more obscure sites that spoke of ‘infernal creatures’ and ‘demons’.

 

“You know what actually, fuck this.” He didn’t want to know. He didn’t need to know.

 

He quickly exited out of the search and tried to focus on the documentary instead.

 

The doorbell rang.

 

Maybe those books he’d ordered online had come early? Iwaizumi got up to go answer it, pausing with his hand on the doorknob for a few moments.

 

There were no discernable noises from outside, and the door didn’t have a peephole, which Iwaizumi was cursing now as his heart kicked into higher gear. Reasoning that neither of the  _ beings _ he’d encountered a few days past would bother with things like doorbells or knocking, Iwaizumi opened the door.

 

“Can I help--” he cut himself off as the light spilling from the doorway illuminated the figure on his porch properly.

 

It was the man called Akaashi.

 

And he was dripping blood all over the porch. One hand was pressed tight to his side, not managing to completely cover a rather grisly looking wound.

 

“You,” Iwaizumi said dumbly, staring at the figure in front of him. Akaashi smiled crookedly and waved his free hand.

 

“A little help, if you please?”

 

Iwaizumi moved to slam the door closed again, but Akaashi stuck out his leg and caught the door with his foot, swinging it back open with ease and sending Iwaizumi stumbling. While Iwaizumi was still finding his balance, Akaashi slipped inside.

 

“I—you can’t come in!” he protested. “I don’t even know who you are!”

 

The man spun and executed a graceful, eloquent bow, one hand still pressed to his bleeding side. “Akaashi Keiji, at your service. I saved your life. The least you can do it help patch me up, don’t you think?”

 

“If you’re injured, go to the hospital,” Iwaizumi snapped, gesturing towards the still open door. “I’m not a doctor!”

 

“Now, now, Hajime, don’t make a scene. Wouldn’t want your neighbors to take notice of me, hm?”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

Akaashi ignored him, moving further into the house, looking around. Iwaizumi groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, and reluctantly shut the door, locking it behind him.

 

“What if that guy tracks you here?” he asked, sounding a bit more nervous than he wanted to. He followed after Akaashi, who had found the bathroom and was sitting on the edge of the bathtub. “I doubt you can’t fight him off in your condition. No offense or whatever, but I’m not exactly willing to be put at gunpoint again for your sake.”

 

“Have a little faith!” Akaashi said with a smile. “I would never have come here if you were in any real danger from Kentarou.”

 

“I think him shooting me in the face counts as real danger,” Iwaizumi snapped back, irritation outweighing his fear of this strange being in his house.

 

“He doesn’t have authorization to kill or irreperably maim any non-involved entities,” Akaashi said, waving away Iwaizumi’s words. “Threaten, absolutely. But not kill. Are you going to help me or not?”

 

“What, now all of a sudden you give me a choice?” Iwaizumi ground out, eyeing Akaashi’s wound. It didn’t look very deep, but Iwaizumi was no expert. “Like I said, I’m not a doctor. Can’t exactly just put a bandaid on that.”

 

He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders.

 

“I’ll give you bus fare to get to the hospital. The stop is just a block away--”

 

“If I could go to the hospital, don’t you think I would have taken myself already?” Akaashi said sardonically. He was starting to look paler--probably from blood loss. “This isn’t exactly my first choice either, trust me.”

 

“I don’t know you, and you want me to trust you?”

 

“Not to sound like a broken record, but,” Akaashi said, tilting his head to one side, “I saved your life. And I didn’t have to.”

 

“According to you, that dude isn’t allowed to kill me, anyway,” Iwaizumi countered. Akaashi seemed to falter, just for a moment.

 

“Aren’t you just so clever,” Akaashi muttered to himself. He shifted on the edge of the tub, wincing, sending more blood spilling down his side and onto the floor.

 

He looked--human, in this light. Cursing himself up, down, and sideways for a fool, Iwaizumi took a step forward, towards Akaashi, trying to get a better look at his injury. Akaashi helpfully moved his hand out of the way and Iwaizumi blanched.

 

“I--all I’ve got is butterfly tape. I can’t stitch you up.”

 

“Not to worry, I just need it cleaned and closed as best you can. I heal fast.” Akaashi stated those words blandly, but Iwaizumi could see his energy fading fast. With a deep breath, he opened the cupboard beneath the sink, pulling out his first-aid kit.

 

Still on edge, he knelt by Akaashi, an alcohol wipe readied in one hand. “This will sting,” he said brusquely, and swiped at some of the scabbing blood around the edges of the wound. Akaashi hissed softly but held very still as Iwaizumi cleaned him up, then applied the butterfly tape to hold the gash together.

 

Akaashi sighed in relief as soon as Iwaizumi moved back and over to the sink to wash his hands. The wound had stopped actively bleeding for now, but even if Akaashi did heal fast, he’d be out of commission for a while.

 

"What are you?" Iwaizumi finally dared to ask, looking mournfully down at his now blood-stained sink.

 

"It's a bit rude to call a person a 'what', don't you think?" Akaashi said, tone light and breezy. When Iwaizumi glanced his way, however, those slanted green eyes were cold.

 

"Thing is," Iwaizumi said slowly, "I don't think you  _ are _ a person, exactly. I mean, at least, you're not human."

 

There. He had said it. It didn't feel any more real for having the words hanging in the air, which wasn't as much of a relief as Iwaizumi would have thought it would be.

 

Akaashi regarded him with a flat expression for several long moments before his face broke out in a tiny, pained smile.

 

"Bingo." Akaashi stood and brushed past him, heading for the kitchen. Iwaizumi sucked in a breath and moved to follow. "Got it in one. Bet you were top of your class, with smarts like those."

 

"Are you always this much of an asshole, or is that a non-human thing?"

 

"That's just me," Akaashi replied easily, opening the fridge and inspecting the contents. He reached for the rice-balls Iwaizumi had prepared for tomorrow's lunch, but Iwaizumi hurried over and slammed the fridge door shut.

 

Akaashi straightened to his full height, narrowing his eyes at Iwaizumi.

 

"I'm hungry," he said pointedly.

 

"That wasn't part of the deal. You saved my life, I saved yours. We're even now. I don't owe you food."

 

"But it would be nice."

 

Iwaizumi crossed his arms, standing in front of the fridge like a sentry and glaring even though he was not-so-secretly terrified of this...whatever this being was, standing in his kitchen.

 

Akaashi sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically, and swung himself up on the counter, making himself comfortable like he meant to stay for a while.

 

"I'm a," he paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I guess you could call me a shapeshifter, of sorts."

 

"Like a werewolf?"

 

"Nothing so  _ crass _ , Hajime."

 

"Don't call me that," Iwaizumi said automatically. Akaashi raised one eyebrow.

 

"It's your name, isn't it?"

 

"Fine, then I'll call you 'werewolf'."

 

Akaashi's lips peeled back in a silent snarl and Iwaizumi recoiled. With a soft chuckle, Akaashi shook his head and continued.

 

"Like I said, nothing so basic as a werewolf. A werewolf has command over only one shape, and that command is dubious. They are at the whims of the moon cycle. I can control my form at will, change into just about anything you can imagine."

 

“How does that even work?”

 

Akaashi leaned towards him, looking very solemn before making a wide gesture with his hands. “Magic.”

 

Iwaizumi glowered at him as Akaashi laughed.

 

“Whatever. I cleaned you up, so you can leave now.”

 

Akaashi rolled his eyes expansively and swung himself down from the counter. “All right, don’t let it be said that I can’t take a hint. Be seeing you around, Hajime.”

 

“You won’t. And don’t call me that,” Iwaizumi said again, trailing after him to the door to make sure that he actually left.

 

Akaashi waved over his shoulder before vanishing into the darkness outside.

 

Iwaizumi locked the door. He didn’t feel any better having done that. “Shit,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

 

There was still all that blood to clean up.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

When Iwaizumi woke up the next morning and shuffled out of his bedroom, he found Akaashi lounging on his couch, drinking coffee from one of his favorite mugs.

 

“What the fuck--how did you get in here?”

 

“I took the spare key, since I need a place to crash for a while.” Akaashi lifted his coffee mug in greeting, smiling up at him. “Made enough for you too. Cheers.”

 

“You can’t--you can’t just _do that,”_ Iwaizumi managed to sputter out, folding his arms over his chest and hoping to appear at least somewhat serious if not intimidating. “This is my _home._ ”

 

Akaashi’s smile widened and his teeth grew sharper as Iwaizumi watched.

 

"Rather empty, for a home. A home implies family, connection, relationships." Akaashi made a show of looking around. "I sense none of that. That makes this a house."

 

"It's still mine," Iwaizumi grated out. "And I don't want you here."

 

“If I’m not around, who’s going to protect you from the demons lurking in the dark?”

 

“There wouldn’t be fucking _demons lurking in the dark_ if it weren’t for you,” Iwaizumi snapped.

 

Akaashi looked him over for a moment, taking a sip from the mug. "The demons have always been there. Now that one has taken notice of you, no matter how much of an idiot he is, that’s just the beginning.”

 

Iwaizumi crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re lying.”

 

Akaashi rolled his eyes.

 

“It's in your best interests to keep me around. I would have thought you'd be smart enough to recognize that by now.”

 

“Get out,” Iwaizumi said flatly. Akaashi sighed, downed the rest of his coffee, and stood to go. “And give me my key back,” Iwaizumi added. Akaashi raised a brow, slapped the key on the table, and started ambling towards the door.

 

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” were his last words before Iwaizumi slammed the door shut on his face.

 

Iwaizumi took a few deep breaths, his forehead pressed to the cool wood of the front door. Then he spun on his heel and returned to going about his morning routine. He was going to dump the coffee down the drain, but it seemed a waste so Iwaizumi poured a mug and took a tentative sip after stirring in his usual spoonful of sugar.

 

Akaashi could apparently make coffee better than him. By a long shot.

 

Iwaizumi glared into the dark depths of the mug but that didn’t stop him from taking another drink as he opened the fridge to ascertain that he did indeed need to go grocery shopping after work today.

 

It was empty. Emptier than it should have been, in fact. His lunch was gone.

 

“That fucking brat,” Iwaizumi cursed under his breath. He hurriedly ate a protein bar he managed to find at the back of the pantry, drank the rest of his coffee, changed, and headed out the door, taking care to lock it properly.

 

There was no sign of Akaashi outside his house, but Iwaizumi pocketed the spare key anyway. He’d need to find a better hiding spot for it, later.

 

\--

 

They had only been walking for half a block after leaving work when Yahaba spotted the dog. It was lounging near the sidewalk, big but lean, with shaggy black fur.

 

“Do you see a collar? I don’t see a collar.” Yahaba started moving towards the dog slowly, one hand extended for it to sniff.

 

“Hold on!” Iwaizumi grabbed his arm and forcibly pulled him to a stop. “Do you want to get your face bitten off?”

 

“But look,” Yahaba gestured towards the dog that was currently wagging its tail in slow sweeps and panting, making it look like it was smiling. “I don’t think he’s a face biter. Are you, huh? Who’s a handsome boy,” Yahaba cooed, and its tail start wagging faster.

 

Iwaizumi sighed and let go, watching anxiously as Yahaba finished approaching. The dog delicately sniffed his hand, tail wagging still, before sitting and raising his paw for Yahaba to shake.

 

“Iwaizumi, you have to take him home with you.”

 

“I don’t have to do anything. If you like him so much, take him yourself.”

 

“My apartment doesn’t allow dogs, or I would.” Yahaba shook the dog’s paw solemnly. “Don’t worry,” he said in a stage whisper. “Iwaizumi is all bark and no bite.”

 

“I can hear you.”

 

“Oh?” Yahaba shot him a grin, completely unrepentant. “Come on, give him a chance!”

 

The dog let out a soft _boof_. Iwaizumi sighed and approached, holding out a hand to the dog. The dog gave it a cursory sniff before licking it.

 

“Gross,” Iwaizumi muttered, still scratching him behind one ear. It had been a long time since he’d been around dogs. Not since his family dog passed away, really. And he did seem rather friendly. “You probably have fleas,” Iwaizumi informed him, but the dog just kept wagging his tail.

 

“So you’ll keep him?” Yahaba asked eagerly.

 

“I’ll do no such thing. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll take him to the nearest animal shelter and see if someone is missing their pet.”

 

“But if not, you’ll keep him, right?”

 

Iwaizumi sighed and started walking back towards town, heading to the pet store. If the dog was going to stay with him overnight, he was going to need a few supplies. Yahaba let out a snort of laughter, catching up to him in a matter of moments, whistling for the dog to follow.

 

Yahaba waited outside the pet supply store with the dog while Iwaizumi headed inside to buy the few things he would need. A small bag of dog food, a dog bowl. A leash and collar.

 

The dog made no protest at the collar being clipped around his neck, and he didn’t pull on the leash either. He definitely had to be someone’s lost pet.

 

By the time Iwaizumi had seen Yahaba to his apartment and made it to his own home, it was twilight. Juggling his bags and keys, Iwaizumi managed to get the door open, and the dog trotted right in as if he had always lived there, the leash tugging out of Iwaizumi’s hand.

 

“Stay off the couch,” Iwaizumi warned as he took off his shoes and headed to the kitchen with the dog food. He poured some out in the dog bowl after filling a second bowl with water, expecting the dog to come running--but wherever he had gone, he didn’t come, which struck Iwaizumi as a bit odd.

 

Iwaizumi whistled once and dog finally came. He unclipped the leash and gestured to the dog food. “Go on then.”

 

The dog sniffed at the food bowl, sneezed once, and looked up at Iwaizumi imperiously.

 

“What, not your brand?” Iwaizumi scoffed. “That’s all you’re getting here, buddy.”

 

Iwaizumi turned and opened the fridge, and was greeted by abysmally empty shelves. He let out a heavy sigh. Right. He had meant to go grocery shopping right after work, but then Yahaba had found the dog.

 

“I have to go to the store--”

 

The moment Iwaizumi said the word _go,_ the dog was already moving towards the front door.

 

“You’re not coming with me,” Iwaizumi said as he followed the dog to the door to put back on his shoes. “You get to stay put here. I don’t need you running off again before I can get you to the shelter and find your owners.”

 

The dog whined piteously.

 

Iwaizumi scratched the back of his neck and sighed again.

 

“Fine. You’d probably wreck my house if I left you alone anyway,” Iwaizumi said. He clipped the leash back on, and headed out the door once more. “But you’re waiting outside the store. It’s no dogs allowed, you hear me?”

 

\--

 

He was inspecting a carton of eggs at the grocery store when he noticed someone was following him. They lingered at the edges of his vision, a figure in dark clothes, so nondescript and average looking as to pass beneath his notice up until this point.

 

Iwaizumi took a few breaths, staring at the starch white shells of the eggs. Maybe it was a patient from work who recognized him and was too shy to approach. That had happened before, a few times.

 

_Maybe it’s a demon._

 

He closed the carton and added it to his basket. He wandered further down the aisle, being careful not to lose sight of the person. Iwaizumi tried to appear relaxed, but he’d never been much of an actor. Whenever he moved, the person followed, purposefully, at a precisely maintained distance.

 

Iwaizumi came to a stop in front of the meat counter. A bead of sweat trickled down his back despite the chilly air of the store.

 

“Can I help you?” the employee behind the counter asked politely.

 

“Just browsing,” he managed to say curtly, trying to get a glance at the person without craning his neck around. The employee gave him an odd look and leaned closer, speaking softly.

 

“Are you all right, sir?” he asked, cautious. “You look ill. Perhaps I can give you directions to the nearest clinic?”

 

Iwaizumi forced a smile. “I’m--fine. Thank you.” He blinked down at the selection of different meats, trying to focus. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he was just being paranoid. It was probably just a run-of-the-mill weirdo, nothing more.

 

“I’ll, uh, take a salmon filet. And a few of the mackerel, please.”

 

The employee looked at him for another moment before wrapping up the items and handing them to him, wishing him a good evening. The stalker was nowhere in sight, but Iwaizumi had a disturbing feeling that they were still lurking about.

 

Iwaizumi did his best to steady his breathing and made his way to the checkout area, as quickly as he could move without attracting too much attention. He thanked the cashier and hurried from out the store entrance. Thankfully, the dog was still tied up where he had left him. Iwaizumi quickly untied the leash and started moving towards home.

 

Iwaizumi kept his head on a constant swivel, but nothing appeared out of the darkness around him. He had just started to relax, thinking maybe he had imagined the stalker all along, when the dog let out a low growl. A rough voice spoke from behind him.

 

“Iwaizumi Hajime,” they said. “I’ve a blade with your name on it.”

 

Iwaizumi jerked to a stop, starting to turn his head automatically, but the dog jerked free of his hold, and seemed to _grow_ larger and fiercer before his eyes, black fur rippling until he was twice the size he was before. The grocery bags dropped from Iwaizumi’s nerveless grasp.

 

“Run,” the dog snapped out in a distorted yet familiar voice.

 

_Akaashi._

 

Iwaizumi was frozen, his hands sweaty and shaking.

 

_Move, damn it._

 

He couldn’t move.

 

“I said _run!”_

 

The dog--Akaashi, rather, launched himself at the whoever was behind him, letting out a vicious snarl. Iwaizumi could see the fighting from the corner of his vision. The humanoid creature had a knife and was taking merciless swipes at Akaashi, but Akaashi moved with greater speed and grace, eventually lunging for the creature’s throat, teeth digging deep and drawing blood. Akaashi’s dark eyes burned where they met Iwaizumi’s.

 

Iwaizumi ran. He headed straight for home.

 

The fact that Akaashi had disguised himself as a dog should have made him angry, but all he could focus on was getting away.

 

He ran as far and as fast as he could, finally slowing to a walk when his house came into view.

 

Akaashi was waiting for him on the porch.

 

He was sitting against the wall next to the door, slumped over. When Iwaizumi cautiously approached, he lifted his head.

 

“You’re sure you’re not a werewolf?” Iwaizumi blurted out. Akaashi grinned and Iwaizumi cringed at the bloodstains on his too-sharp teeth.

 

“And here I thought I’d be in the dog house,” Akaashi replied brightly, getting to his feet. He was just a bit taller than Iwaizumi. Taller, leaner, sharper. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

 

“For what,” Iwaizumi retorted, “deceiving me?”

 

Akaashi’s smile faded slightly. “I thought perhaps my company would be more welcome in another form. And I couldn’t risk leaving you unprotected. A little bird told me there’s a price on your head. They seem to think you’re involved with me.”

 

Iwaizumi scrubbed a hand over his face. “And who are ‘they’?”

 

“It’s a long story. Perhaps better told not in the dark.”

 

Iwaizumi let out a sigh. Much as he didn’t want to invite Akaashi into his home, he _had_ saved his life. Again.

 

Iwaizumi thankfully didn’t fumble too much with the keys as he unlocked the front door. He gestured Akaashi inside ahead of him, and closed it securely behind himself, making sure it was locked before kicking off his shoes and following Akaashi into the living room.

 

He had made himself at home on the squashed blue couch, stretched out across the entire thing like he belonged there. As Iwaizumi approached, Akaashi scooted into a sitting position to make room for him to sit. After a moment of hesitation, Iwaizumi sat.

 

“What was it? That _thing_ that was following me,” he asked.

 

Akaashi let out a slow breath. “Nothing that you people have a name for,” he replied. “It was from an order of demons, as you like to call them. They call themselves ‘The Daggers that Stalk the Night’. Bit pretentious, really.”

 

“Do you know why it was following me?”

 

“Well, there’s generally only one reason they ever leave their headquarters, and that’s when they’ve been ordered to kill someone.”

 

Iwaizumi felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Short of breath, sick to his stomach.

 

Akaashi touched his shoulder very lightly. “I’m going to do my best to get your name cleared. I have a few friends in high places that owe me favors. Once that’s done, no one will bother you again.”

 

“How long will that take, exactly?”

 

Akaashi hesitated. “Time is a bit different to us. Could be as short as a few months, could be as long as a year or two.”

 

“Right.” Iwaizumi closed his eyes briefly. “And what do you expect me to do in the meantime?”

 

“Continue with your life as you always have,” Akaashi replied easily. “And I’ll protect you from any further attacks.”

 

Iwaizumi snorted. “What, out of the kindness of your heart? Yeah, right. What’s your price?”

 

Akaashi let out a soft laugh. “You can’t afford what I would normally charge. But in this case, a place to sleep at night would be sufficient. Perhaps the occasional meal.”

 

It was a simple choice. Death, or life. Iwaizumi may have been strong by human standards, but up against the supernatural, he was of no use.

 

A simple choice. But not an easy one. Letting Akaashi into his life would probably mean more trouble--but he would be alive.

 

Iwaizumi stood, ignoring the way Akaashi’s eyes followed him.

 

“You can sleep on the couch,” he said shortly. He reached into his pocket and handed Akaashi the spare key. “Don’t lose that.”

 

Akaashi smiled widely as he took the key.

 

“I’m going to bed,” Iwaizumi announced, already heading towards his bedroom.

 

“What, without dinner?”

 

“I’m not going back out to the store.”

 

Akaashi sighed. “Sweet dreams then,” he called out after him.

 

As if Iwaizumi would ever sleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and thank you for everyone who has been patient with me and supported me while I struggled through a long break from writing!


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